Everything appears to be on track for Ernesto Mercado. The super lightweight contender is young, undefeated, and easily passed the first true test of his career by walking through Jose Pedraza.

Ultimately, the longtime faded former champion was unable to get it going a few weeks ago, leading to a fourth stoppage loss. Now, with the biggest win of his career in his back pocket, Mercado wants to take another step up in the competition.

The 140-pound division is filled to the brim with a ton of talent. Also, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) isn’t shy when it comes to calling out names. So, when recently asked who he wants to jump in the ring with, he pointed his index finger in the direction of another young up-and-coming fighter.

“Brandun Lee can get it,” said Mercado to Tha Boxing Voice. “I don’t know how active he is but that should be an easy fight to make.”

Lee, 25, has seen his career sizzle, fizzle out, and sizzle all over again. Once viewed as one of the hottest prospects around, Lee has dealt with large spells of inactivity. In 2024, Lee (29-0, 23 KOs) made just one appearance, grabbing a points win over Juan Anacona.

Presently, Lee doesn’t have a fight lined up in 2025 but Mercado would love to change that. In addition to Lee, Montana Love was floated as an option. His current form, however, hasn’t been impressive. Following two straight defeats, Love was shelved for the entirety of 2024, something that doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.

If, for some reason, Love (18-2-1, 9 KOs) was presented to him, Mercado wouldn’t exactly turn it down. With that said, he wouldn’t be buoyant about facing him either.

“I don’t really view Montana Love as a step up. Me fighting him is a step-down, to be honest with you.”